MINAM’s Next Challenge: Preparing for a $2.6 Trillion Global Market

MINAM’s Next Challenge: Preparing for a $2.6 Trillion Global Market

Micro- and nano technologies have the potential to create economic growth in every geographical area of Europe and in almost every industry sector. Over the next 10 to 20 years, projections anticipate that micro- and nanotechnologies will change almost every product on the market today and result in an estimated $2.6 trillion global market.

MINAM, the European consortium launched as a Euro working group— for micro- and nano manufacturing leading to new product innovations, new companies and new jobs— developed quickly after its start in January 2008 in Brussels. With the help of the supporting partners 4m, Ipmman, MicroSapient, Euspen, IPA, VDMA, the operational support groups and the members of the MINAM industrial board, the consortium has developed into an active community.

Surveys and industry workshops were organized to get a clear picture about state of the art and to understand needs for further research. Results were presented into the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) and a Vision Paper, both available to public on the MINAM website (www.minamwebportal.eu). Two “brokerage” events attracted industry and academic researchers and contributed to the creation of successful teams for FP7-funded research projects.

The MINAM online community today has around 600 members from 36 countries with strong industry involvement and support. MINAM and its members cooperate with ongoing research projects, local and regional networks and platforms like Manufuture, ENIAC, SussChem, and Photonics21.

The goal of this association is to be an active partner in the development of European research and industrialization activities for micro- and nano manufacturing technologies. This will be accomplished by direct cooperation between industries, European-funded research projects, and in parallel with the development of MINAM as a European Technology Platform, collecting industry needs for the orientation of future European and national funding calls.